Cleaning apparatus



Aug. 18', 1925. 1,550,187

A. G. VARA CLEANING APPARATUS Filed 'April 22. 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 A. G. VARA CLEANING APPARATUS Aug. 18, 1925. 1,550,187

Filed April 22, 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 135,2.

A. G. VAR/5 I Aug. 18, 19125:.

CLEANING APPARATUS 1924 a Shets-Sheet 5 Filed April 22 MW A VAWNMWMWM? F Fatented Aug. 18, 1925.

UNITED STATES ARTHUR e. VARA, or BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

CLEANING APPA ATUS.

Application filed April 22, 1924. Serial No. 708,206.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR G. VARA, a citizen of the United States, residing at Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Cleaning Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an apparatus for cleaning spots from clothing although the same may also be used to advantage for other purposes.

It is the object of this invention to provide a machine for this purpose which permits of cleaning the spots on clothing or similar articles with facility and convenience so as to enable this work to be done thoroughly, quickly and economically and without undue effort on the part of the operator.

In the accompanying drawings:

F igure 1 is a side elevation partly in section of an apparatus embodying one form of my invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the cleaning or brushing device of the apparatus.

Figure 3 is a horizontal section of the cleaning device, taken on line 33, Figure l.

Figure 4 is a vertical transverse section of the cleaning device taken on line H, Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a side elevation, partly in section showing another installation of my improvement.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary sectional ele vation of the brushing suspending device, shown in Figure 5.

Figure 7 is a fragmentary vertical longitudinal section of the brushing device, 40 shown in Figure 5.

Similar characters of reference indicate like parts throughout the several figures.

Referring to Figures 1 to 4, the numeral 10 represents an enclosing casing or hood which forms part of the brushing device and which has two transverse end walls 11, 12, a flat top 13, a vertical longitudinal wall 1% connecting two of the corresponding vertical edges of the end walls, and an outwardly curved longitudinal wall connecting the opposite vertical edges of the end walls, these walls being disconnected at their lower end so as to form an opening 16 on the lower side of this casing.

the casing, said brush stock'being provided on its periphery with bristles 21 which are so constructed that they form a cylindrical brush, This brush is so mounted that its descending side is arranged close to the lower edge of the curved wall 15 of the (asing while the opposite or ascending side of this brush is spaced a considerable distance apart from the other longitudinal wall 1-l.

This casing together with the parts mounted thereon is mounted so that it is freely portable and can be manipulated by the hand of an operator for the purpose of engaging the lower part of the brush which projects downwardly through the opening 16 into engagement with different parts of clothing or other material which is soiled either in spots or over greater areas for the purpose of loosening: this dirt and removing the same so that the garment is clean.

In order to facilitate the cleaning operation a cleansing fluid is preferably sup plied to the brush .on the upper side thereof so that the soiled place is acted upon simultaneously by the bristles of the brush and by the solvent action of the fluid.

In the preferred construction this cleansing fluid is delivered to the upper side of the brush by means of a nozzle 22 which is arranged lengthwise in the upper part of the casing and formed integrally therewith and provided with a longitudinal row of outlet or discharge openings 23 so as to dis tribute the cleansing fluid from this nozzle over the entire length of the brush. As the brush rotates in the direction of the arrow in Figure 4:, some of the cleansing fluid will be thrown away from the same by centrifugal force, but the fluid thus thrown off from the brush is caught by the curved wall 15 of the casing and directed downwardly to the lower edge of the same where. it is again delivered to the periphery of the brush and caused to be rubbed by the bristles of the latter over the surface to be cleansed and thereby aid in removing any dirt which may be present. In order to prevent the fluid from gathering on the brush in any one place as it is directed by the wall to the lower side of the brush a plurality of circumferential ribs 24 are placed on the curved inner side of the wall 15 which ribs form a plurality of curved channels or conduits which catch the fluid thrown off by the brush and direct the same downwardly over the entire area of the wall 15 and cause the same to be delivered over the brush throughout the full length thereof, thereby causing the cleansing fluid to be distributed more uniformly on the brush and causing the latter to operate more effectively.

By arranging the ascending side of the brush close to the lower edge of the fluid delivery wall 15, the transfer of the fluid from this wall to the brush is ensured so as to enable the brush to operate most effectively and utilize the cleansing fluid most advantageously while the operation of the ascending side of the brush from the other longitudinal wall 14 prevents the brush from wiping against this wall and avoids the separation of any fluid from the brush at this place which otherwise would be liable to cause the excess fluid to drip from the lower edge of the wall 14 and drop on to the fabric which is being cleaned. The brush may be rotated in any suitable manner but preferably from a prime mover 25 which in. this instance consists of an electric motor mounted on a shelf 26 secured to an adjacent stationary wall 27.

Motion is transmitted from the rotor of this motor by means of a flexible shaft 28, the opposite ends of which are connected with the rotor of the motor and the shaft 18 of the rotary brush, an enclosing tubular jacket 29 being provided around this fleX ible shaft between the motor and the brush casing so as to avoid any interference between the shaft and other parts which may be arranged nearby The cleansing fluid in this instance is sup plied from an overhead tank 30 which may be secured to the ceiling 31 of the building and has its bottom connected by means of a flexible delivery pipe 82 with the distributing nozzle 22 of the brushing device. A valve mechanism is preferably provided which permits the operator upon taking hold of the brushing device to also open communication between the fluid delivery pipe 32 and the nozzle while the brush is being operated in contact with the fabric to be cleaned which valve mechanism is so constructed that when the operator lets go of the casing this controlling valve will be automatically closed and thus prevent the cleansing fluid from continuing its flow to the brush. In the form of this valve shown in Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4, the same comprises a valve casing 33 which is mounted on the casing between the outlet end of the flexible tube 32 and the inlet end of the nozzle 22. A rotary plug 34 arranged in the valve casing 33 and having a port 35 adapted to be moved into and out of reverse with the inlet and outlet of the valve casing 33, a rock lever 36 connected with the valve plug 34, a shifting rod 37 extending through an opening 38 in the brush casing so as to be guided therein and having its inner end connected with one arm of the rock lever 36 while its other end is provided with a push button 39 and a spring 40 connecting the other arm of the rock lever 36 with an adjacent part, for instance, an eye 41 mounted on the nozzle 22.

l i hen the apparatus is not in use, the spring 40 turns the valve plug 34 in the direction for closing this valve and stopping the supply of cleansing fluid from the tank 32 to the brush. .Vhen, however, the operator grasps the casing of the cleansing brush, he at the same time presses with one finger against the push button 39 thereby opening the valve plug 34 and permitting a simultaneous flow of cleansing fluid to the brush while the latter is rotating in contact with the surface to be cleaned.

For the purpose of automatically holding the brushing device in an elevated position when the same is not in se, a spring 42 is provided which is connected at its lower end with the top of the casing while its upper end is connected with the ceiling 31 or other overhead support of the building. Normally this spring is strong enough to sustain the weight of the brushing device and associated parts and hold the same a sufficient distance above the table 43 upon which the fabric 44 to be cleansed is supported, and when the operator wishes to use the brushing device he simply takes hold of the casing and draws the same downwardly against the resilience of the spring 42 until the lower side of the brush is engaged with the spot or surface to be cleaned. When this cleaning is done he merely lets go of the casing which causes the same and the parts mounted thereon to be automatically elevated out of the way.

A similar spring 45 is employed for holding the intermediate parts of the flexible shaft and the flexible fluid conducting tube in an elevated position so as to not interfere with the work which is being done on the table 43, this spring 45 being connected at its. upper end with a ceiling 41 or other available support, while its lower end is connected with a clip 46 which embraces the intermediate parts of the flexible shaft housing and the fluid conducting tube, as shown in Figure 1.

Means are preferably provided which operate automatically to disconnect the motor 25 from the current supply 47 when the device is elevated and not in use, but to nnect t s meter W t e current S pply when the brushing device is lowered into an operative position. Means suitable for accomplishing this purpose consist of a shifting rod 48 arranged lengthwise within the cas ing supporting spring 42 and connected at its lower end by means of a spring 49 with the casing while its upper end is provided with a movable contact 50 adapted to move into and out of engagement with the stationary contact 51. These two contacts constitute a switch which forms part of the electric circuit of the motor 25.. When the brushing casing is elevated, the resilience of the spring 49 is sufficiently stiff to lift the rod 48 and cause the movable contact 50 thereon to be disengaged from the stationary contact 51 and thereby stop the operation of the motor so that the brush will not rotate unnecessarily. lVhen, however, the attendant moves the brushing device downwardly the spring 49 also draws the rod 48 and the movable contact 50 thereon downwardly until the latter engages with the stationary contact 51 thereby closing the circuit of the motor 25 and causing the brush to be rotated while the same is in an operative position.

By providing the spring 48, it is possible to continue the downward movement of the casing and also move the same with considerable freedom over different parts of the fabric which is supported upon the table 48 without disturbing the engagement of the movable contact with the stationary contact 51, and thereby ensuring proper operation of the brush by motion derived from the electric motor.

If desired my improved brushing device may be modified in its construction in the manner shown in Figures 5, 6 and 7. In this construction the motor 25 is mounted on the table 52 which supports the article while being cleaned, and which may also serve as an ironing board for further treating or preparing the clothing or other articles in hand. In this construction the means for yieldingly holding the brushing device in its elevated position when not in use are mounted on the same frame which carries the table 52 instead of being mounted on an overhead ceiling, thereby making the apparatus self-contained and wholly independent of the building in which the same is used.

In the preferred construction this is accomplished by mounting a standard on the main frame 53 of the table which standard comprises a hollow upright post 54 arranged at one end of the table and a hollow arm 55 projecting horizontally and laterally from the upper end of the post 54 over the supporting table 52. Within this hollow standard is arranged a suspension line 56 which is connected at one end with the top of the brush housing 10 while its other end is connected with the free end of the spring 57 arranged in the lower end of the post, the fixed end of this spring being secured to the lower end of this post, as shown in 58.

When the brushing device is not in use the tension of the spring 57 draws the slack the suspension line 56 backwardly through the hollow standard and lifts the brushing device into an elevated position where it is out of the way, but when lowering this brushing device the lifting spring 57 is extended sufficiently to permit the brushing device to be moved over different parts of the fabric which requires cleaning. If desired the turn at the corner between the post 54. and the horizontal arm 55 may be provided with anti-friction rollers 59 over which the adjacent part of the suspension line 56 may be guided and a similar anti-friction roller 60 may be arranged at the front or outer end of the arm 55 for the purpose of guiding the suspension line 56 as it passes round the outer end of this arm, and thereby causes the same to work easily and without undue wear or friction.

In this'case the cleansing fluid supply tank 30 may be mounted on the upper part of the post 5st and the fluid delivery pipe 32 between the same and the nozzle of the casing is preferably connected with the tuhular housing 29 of the flexible shaft by means of clips 61 so that these two flexible members stay together and do not interfere with each other or the work on the table 52.

In order to dispose of the intermediate parts of the flexible shaft and the fluid delivery tube 32 between the brushing device and the motor, a longitudinal slot or opening 62 is formed in the table 52 next to the motor 25 through which the intermediate parts of the shaft and the fluid tube may pass downwardly, as shown by full lines in Figure 5. As the brushing device is moved away from the motor a part of the slack portion of this shaft and tube are raised out of the opening 62 as. indicated by dotted lines in the same figure and during this movement the frictional contact between these tubular members and the table 52 is reduced to a minimum by employment of an anti-friction roller 63 which is arranged at the front end of the opening 62 in a position to engage with the adjacent part of these tubular members.

The circuit of the electric motor in this case is opened and closed by means of the switch comprising a stationary contact 64: mounted on the inner side of the post 54 and the movable switch contact 65 mounted on the spring 57, these contacts forming part of the electric circuit of the motor and the le lation of the same being such that when the brushing device is in its elevated inoperative position the contraction of the spring &

57 will move the contact 65 out of engagement from the fixed contact 64 and stop the operation of the motor 25 and that of the rotary brush while upon moving the brushing device downwardly into its operative posit-ion the elongation of the spring 57 in an upward direction will cause the movable con tact 65 thereon to engage the fixed contact 6% thereby closing the circuit of the motor 25 and causing the same to operate the brush.

Instead of employing the valve mechanism shown in Figures 1 to 4 for controlling the supply of cleansing fluid to the nozzle 22, the mechanism shown in Figures 5 and 7 may be employed. In this modified con struction a valve casing 66 is employed which extends from the outlet end of the fluid supply tube to the nozzle 22 and contains a valve seat 67 near one end thereof. This valve seat is adapted to be engaged by a conical valve 68 which is mounted on a shifting rod 69 extending through the valve casing 66 and the nozzle 22 and through the adjacent part of the brush casing to the e):- teri'or thereof. This valve 68 is yieldingly held in its closed posit-ion by means of a spring 70 which surrounds the valve rod 69 and bears at its opposite ends against the valves 68 and an abutment 71 within the valve casing, and the opening of this valve is effected by the operator pressing a linger against a push button 72 against the outer end 01 the valve rod 69 at the same time that he grasps the brush casing.

This cleaning apparatus can be manipulated with ease and convenience and permits of cleaning spots thoroughly, expeditiously and economically, thereby rendering the same well suited to large establishments devoted mainly to cleaning clothes or fabric containing dirt spots and which do not require the entire garment or piece of fabric to be cleaned.

This apparatus is not only comparatively simple in construction, but it can be easily installed without trespassing upon the room now needed for other purposes and without interfering with the clothing or fabric w iile the same is lying on the table in position to be cleaned.

Furthermore, this device permits an operator to perform very much more work etfectively and thoroughly within a given time without becoming fatigued, thereby eliminating one of the great drawbacks in securing employment oi? persons for doing this class of WOl'li.

I claim as my invention:

1. A cleaning apparatus comprising a portable casing provided in its underside with an opening, a movable brush arranged mainly within the casing and having its lower part projecting downwardly through said opening and adapted to be engaged with the article to be cleaned, means tor supplying aclei nsing fluid to the brush within the casing, a motor for driving. said brush, and means for controlling the operation of said motor by raising and lowering said casing.

2. A cleaning apparatus comprising a portable casing provided in its underside with an opening, a rotary brush journal d within said casing and having its lower part projecting downwardly through said open ing, a fluid discharge nozzle arranged in the upper part of said casing and adapted to deliver a cleansing fluid to said brush, said casing being provided with vertical corrugations on its inner side next to the descending part of said brush.

A cleaning apparatus comprising a portable casing provided in its underside with an opening, a rotary brush journaled within said casing and having its lower part projecting downwardly through said opening, a fluid discharge nozzle arranged in the upper part of said casing and adapted to deliver a cleansing fluid to said brush, the wall of the casing facing the descending part being curved outwardly and provided on its inner side with vertical corrugations and terminating at its lower end close to the brush while the opposite wall thereof is arranged a considerable distance from the opposite ascending part of the brush,

ARTHUR G. VARA. 

